LIVEABOARD HOUSEBOATS

These are usually boats with a flat bottom and a large house that occupies most of the deck.

They are designed for calmer waters like rivers or some lakes. The photo below is from the Gibson Boat Company website.

You see a lot of houseboats in inland lakes and rivers. They are usually not considered seaworthy enough to take out in the open ocean or one of the Great Lakes.

Their flat bottoms make for a very uncomfortable ride, but in calmer conditions they have unsurpassed comfort.

HOUSEBOAT WITH ENGINE

Gibson Houseboat

HOUSEBOAT WITHOUT ENGINE

These are barge type boats that are designed to be towed wherever they will be located. They quite often don't move for years. They are usually permanent fixtures in some marinas or liveaboard communities. The houseboat in the photo below was at a fish camp on the Dead River in Central Florida near Eustis and Tavares.